Elsie Adamo
THE South Australian Government has locked in $5m for Mount Gambier TAFE in the latest budget figures.
The State budget confirmed the funding, which had been promised for the facility by Labor prior to the election in March.
The money will be provided in the 2023-24 financial year to upgrade facilities and equipment on campus, in the hopes it will increase enrolment and retention rates.
The Mount Gambier campus is currently the largest TAFE campus outside of Adelaide, but course offerings are significantly less than what is available in metropolitan areas.
Mount Gambier TAFE currently offers 46 different award courses between Cert I and Diploma levels across 20 subject areas, including aged and disability services, carpentry, children’s education, mechanical engineering, retail and nursing.
The selection of offerings was at one time much more extensive, but this has shrunk over recent decades.
In contrast, the nine TAFE campuses across Adelaide offer more than 120 courses in more than 40 subject areas.
Courses in sectors such as dental, science, animal studies and veterinary nursing, youth work, and mental health are currently not available in the Limestone Coast or online via TAFE.
TAFE SA chief executive David Coltman said the funding could mean more programs for the Mount Gambier campus.
“It will provide significant upgrades to our facilities at our Mount Gambier campus,” Mr Coltman said.
“It will allow more programs to be delivered from Mount Gambier to the rest of the State.
” It will ensure increased and modernised services, support growth in enrolments, and ensure a better experience for all students studying in Mount Gambier.
“We remain committed to delivering the education and training that is needed in regional centres.
“Our training will be aligned to local workforce needs.
“The continued investment in local campuses will enable more regionally-based students to have access to the highest quality vocational education and training,” he said.
“The staff, students and I couldn’t be happier about this.”
Mr Coltman said the organisation has a strong commitment to the Mount Gambier campus.
“We want to build our regionally based workforce so that we can deliver more courses from these modernised facilities,” he said.
“We will continue working collaboratively with local businesses, industry, schools and local communities to meet their specific skills needs.”
Education Minister Blair Boyer said the investment would help kickstart more conversations between TAFE and local industry.
“We know the local industry has identified staff shortages in Mount Gambier and surrounding regions, so this investment is about working with the area to better support the industry more broadly well into the future,” he said.
“The investment of $5m in the 2023-24 Budget to upgrade facilities and equipment at the Mt Gambier TAFE will help drive enrolments and support the retention of students and apprenticeships in trade courses.”
